


April, and a Flower

by Adorkable757



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: I'll update tags as i post new chaps, M/M, Strong Language, baeksoo falling in love and facing the ups and downs of a relationship, based on april and a flower and dear my dear, future smut?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:13:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25593325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adorkable757/pseuds/Adorkable757
Summary: When April fades away let’s walk away as if nothing’s wrong. So that our last goodbye will be beautiful. Just smile a little longer until then. Smile.“We’ll break up after April. Let’s just have each other until April.”
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Do Kyungsoo | D.O
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	April, and a Flower

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Welcome to another fic that I haven't finished but wanted to start posting in hopes that it would motivate me to keep writing!! I've gotten the entirety of this mapped out and it will follow the seasons baeksoo spend together and have a specific song off of April, and a Flower or Dear My Dear as the "mood". This is obviously an AU but idk what kind to tag it or categorize it as??? So here is my Baeksoo young adult expat au fic???

_“This cold and empty room that was closed for so long, your scent that gently carried over in the air. Unknowingly, my heart fluttered because of it. The long night that couldn’t see an end; it’s already becoming brighter with the thoughts of you…You don’t know, my fluttering heart. I’m always gazing at you by myself. I will wait for you, please turn around for me…”_

–CHEN “You never know” **  
**

* * *

**_Fall 2019_ **

Study, eat, sleep, go to class.

Study, eat, sleep, go to class.

Kyungsoo’s routine was simple. Simple and draining in a way that he never actually thought college would be. Sure, he went out to small bar parties every now and then. And sure, he hung out with his friends and watched Vine compilations and commentators on YouTube every other weekend, drinking too much together and laughing too wildly in front of the TV. But that was about as crazy as his days would get.

Moving was a last minute decision. He hadn’t thought it through. He hadn’t done much preparation work for it outside of the 30 minutes it took him to find the job listing and accept. He was just so _bored_ and so tired of his same old routine that it only took a second to decide that anything that could get him out of it was the best decision he could make for himself.

There’s not much that he can really remember in the months leading up to packing up as little of his life as possible and moving across the globe to China. He blames it on the fact that the final semester of college had him preoccupied.

You know…studying, eating, sleeping, going to class, and running across the occasional panic stricken graduation deadline that he would nearly miss and pay too much money for.

What kind of place forces its students to pay for the robes and tassels that they’d earned at the college they were already going into debt to attend? Robes and tassels that they were _required_ to wear in order to attend the commencement ceremony.

Fireworks, speeches, students boldly drinking from liquor bottles in their seats as they’re told they’re officially qualified to work in a field most of them had loss their passion for. But, hey, at least he’d gotten the paper to prove he spent four years and 40k to be where he is now.

Teaching.

Teaching at a small private primary school, in a city in China that he’d never even heard of before they sent him the email with his acceptance into the English as a Second Language company.

Hangzhou, China. A fairly large city about an hour away from Shanghai. He’d done some research (read: watched a shit ton of YouTube travel videos) so he felt pretty educated on what to expect in his first year teaching.

He’s going to be teaching for a year in this city despite the four years he spent in an _entirely_ different field during college. He thought that he’d like studying Entertainment and Media Studies, but he lost his passion as soon as multiple essays came into play. He was more of a hands-on learner. Like he’d told his friends before, he panicked.

He panicked once, and looked for the job. Panicked again once he applied. Once more when they accepted him and he signed on to start in the fall. And one final time as he rolled his suitcases stuffed to the brim with clothes and objects from home that he decided he _absolutely_ could not live without.

He might have shed tears as his friends and family waved him off at the security gate, but he was back to feeling sure of himself and his decision to move away by the second plane transfer.

His arrival in Hangzhou was eventful. After a gate change and delayed flight from Beijing (that he’d only barely caught due to his elementary Chinese), lost luggage that he would have to claim the next day, nearly losing his passport _twice_ , and the hotel shower soaking him and his slippers before he’d even been in the country _24 hours_ , he was beginning to doubt his capability to be here.

In his first week he got adjusted, had a few teaching training sessions, and even made friends with a few of the other poor individuals who decided at the last second that they would give teaching in China a shot. He learned quickly that amongst his little group of teachers, he was one of 3 people who could speak any Mandarin or had any experience being in China.

Thank god for that one study abroad trip to Shanghai and that undeserved Chinese minor he got in college.

Park Sooyoung, 22, a former theater major originally from Vancouver, Canada was the first friend he made within the group of new teachers. She had lived in Seoul for the entirety of her undergrad years at Yonsei University, and had visited China a few times within the span of that time. She was gorgeous, he’d noted, and he felt a bit shy whenever she would smile at him, all gums and teeth and happiness. Although she couldn’t really speak any Mandarin, she had plenty of experience living in locations where she couldn’t fluently speak the language. The barrier provided little difficulty for her.

Kim Junmyeon, 25, a former pre-med major originally from Busan, South Korea but a self-proclaimed Los Angeles native, was the second person he came to know. Unlike most of the others, he’d had experience teaching. 2 years in Pueblo, Mexico, 1 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and now his first year in China. Although he’d never been to China, he’d learned a bit of Chinese before deciding to accept.

He hadn’t meant to clique up with the only others who were also Korean and who’d been to China or spoke any semblance of Chinese (Mandarin or even Cantonese), but he did. They were both easy going and would also be working in the heart of the city with him. It made sense for them all to be friends.

And it turned out that they were all Gay As Fuck. All the more reason to stick together he thought.

It wasn’t as if he’d introduced himself like that.

_“Hi I’m Kyungsoo Do. Do Kyungsoo; I’m 22 and gay as fuck it’s nice to meet you.”_

No. It came out when they’d hung out at a karaoke room and the conversation of sexuality came up as Junmyeon queued Killer Queen and started to talk about Freddie Mercury. Junmyeon and Sooyoung began to gush over their shared bisexuality and shyly Kyungsoo admitted to being gay.

Then and there their bond was solidified. He felt relief at being not having to hide this part of himself with them. Although it was unexpected, he’s happy they discussed it sooner rather than later.

China was new and exciting for them all. They would get the chance to truly try something new, and that bond was enough for them to click immediately.

Realistically, the three of them could have taught in South Korea. Junmyeon and Sooyoung were fluent, and Kyungsoo had grown up with the language, even if he was rusty from years living in the States and mainly speaking English with his family.

But here he is now, 3 days before he’s supposed to start teaching at the primary school 10 minutes from his house, if he speed walks, and 5 if he decides to ride a bike. He’s visited the school already and smiled at the students even as they stared at him in wonder (at times he could have sworn he saw plain old fear).

He’d officially “moved in” to his apartment, and now Kyungsoo finds himself laying on the shitty pillow and sheets he bought at a corner shop for 150 yuan, staring at the ceiling wondering –

_What now?_

It’s 6pm and it’s his first night in his home for the next year. His first place on his own – no parents, no pets, no roommates, no nothing. It’s a bit chilling to realize. Kyungsoo flips on his side and grabs his phone from the nightstand, hoping –no _praying_ \- that his VPN connects so that he can check the news, go on YouTube, do _something_ just to feel like he’s back home in the States if even just virtually.

It connects –but only for 10 minutes. Not enough to really do anything useful. He contemplates sending Sooyoung or Junmyeon a message just to cure his boredom, but his fear of annoying them outweighs his desire to be entertained. He sends his family another couple of messages with photos of his apartment letting them know that he’s moved in and he misses them. He not so subtly implies that he can talk now because he’s not busy (code for: bored out of his fucking MIND), but he knows no one will get back to him due to it being anywhere from 3am to 6am back home.

He could go grab something to eat. There are plenty of places around that he wants to try out. He could even go walk around the area just to kill some time. Realistically, there’s an infinite amount of things that he could do, but he stays glued to his bed and decides, just for tonight, to do absolutely nothing.

Hunger becomes strong enough for him to brave one of the 外卖 delivery apps and order some food. He scrolls through the list only half interested, more inclined to find something familiar for the night than try out one of the tens of restaurants available.

A frown finds it way on his face as he finds McDonald’s in the list and his stomach growls angrily. It’s boring, but it’s safe and he just doesn’t _care_ that much right now. His finger hovers over the 麦当劳 icon with the familiar yellow M and clicks through objects to put in his order. The hardest part is trying to remember his address and what apartment he lives in so that they can come right to his door and he won’t have to go out to meet them down on the first floor.

A quick check of his police registration for the address and he can finally let out a breath of relief. That wasn’t so bad, not at all. A bit nerve wracking, but he was able to get through it with minimal stress.

By 10 o’clock he’s ready to go to bed. He’s eaten, taken a shower, washed his face and brushed his teeth, and he even put away most of the things that he brought with him from home. He lies in bed ready to fall asleep when he hears the sounds of someone singing ( ~~obnoxiously)~~ loudly from next door.

Usually, this kind of thing would piss him off. It’s discourteous to be singing at this time. Who starts belting out song at 10 on a weeknight?

However, instead of knocking on the wall, or better yet going next door, he finds himself listening to the music, sort of, at peace. It’s comforting to have sound filtering into his otherwise silent apartment. It almost feels like company in a place he now occupies all on his own. And besides, the singer isn’t that bad. As a matter of fact they have a beautiful voice.

Whoever they are.

Kyungsoo allows himself to fall asleep to the sound of his neighbor’s voice floating through his wall.

* * *

“On Monday you’ll have your first real lesson with the students. They are all very interested in you after your introductions this week. Keep up the good work!” Kyungsoo’s co-teacher, Yixing, says happily. He claps Kyungsoo on the shoulder as if they’ve been friends for years, and not only a week, but Kyungsoo finds that he doesn’t hate the contact.

Had he been back home he would have sent the offending action a glare and a clipped “Don’t touch me.” But here…Kyungsoo is a bit touch _starved_. He sends Yixing a genuine smile and feels the apprehension he felt at the quality of his work this week fade away.

This is the first time he’s taught _anything_ to a class. Especially to a class of children who speak neither of the languages he speaks comfortably.

“Thank you Yixing. You’ve been a big help so far. I’m a bit nervous about next week though…” Kyungsoo finds himself admitting to the older, more experienced teacher.

“Just use the textbook and plan out the next 3 lessons based on Unit One. If you don’t feel confident, then you can send your PPTs to me and I’ll look over them,” Yixing offers, dimple appearing as if offering itself as extra reassurance.

Kyungsoo finds himself a bit eased as the words and the caring tone of the other, so he nods. “Okay.”

“Go ahead and pack up. We’ll see you Monday at the same time!” Yixing tosses his own laptop bag over his shoulder and pops an earbud in his ear. “Don’t work too hard this weekend!” And with another sweet smile, he’s off.

Given the fact that Kyungsoo has already mapped out his lessons for the next _six_ classes, he doesn’t think that not working too hard this weekend will be a problem. All he really needs to do is finish the PowerPoints and then he can send them to Yixing and get feedback.

Kyungsoo is glad that he has Yixing at his school with him. Yixing learned English as a second language throughout high school and college and then went on to become an English teacher. He grew up in Changsha but moved to Hangzhou so that he could try something new in a new place. In the week Kyungsoo has known him, he knows that Yixing is very caring, loves his job, and knows _far too much_ about the music industry to be working at a small school like this as an English teacher.

But Yixing loves working with kids and he loves being able to help them understand the use of knowing more than one language.

Kyungsoo wishes he had the vocabulary of Yixing’s to be able to communicate with his students more comfortably outside of class in Mandarin, but he isn’t quite confident enough yet.

He’s already traumatized from when he mistook a box of lube for contact solution and had a cashier laugh directly in his face on his second day in the country.

Kyungsoo buys his contact solution online now.

He packs up his things and looks around his little desk in the teacher’s office happily. Photos of his friends and family in a simple frame along with a couple of markers and pens, all in black, neatly placed in a holder and not cluttering up his space decorate it. It resembles him he thinks.

He leaves the school feeling accomplished. His first full week went well. He didn’t have to raise his voice, and he thinks that his students respect him as much as they can a new teacher. They’re only anywhere from 6 to 10 but they’re all very sweet and he already got two cards from students with a poorly drawn version of him on it surrounded by hearts.

He put them on display at the top of his desk.

Out the main entrance of the school, he waves happily to kids he recognizes from his classes, bows to the guards at the exit gate and hikes his work backpack higher up his back. After popping in his nearly broken pair of headphones he climbs on one of the copious rental bikes available around the city and heads home.

The way home is simple, just 3 turns near memorable landmarks. A left at the Family Mart that he has visited daily during lunch for juice, another left at the Starbucks that always looks concernedly full, and then a right at what may be a mall but could also just be a business center. He isn’t sure and doesn’t really care.

As long as he wears his glasses or contacts, getting home is no problem. Parking the bike right outside of his apartment building and paying the 2元 for the ride each day is a routine he is already becoming comfortable with.

There are three other doors on Kyungsoo’s floor. 401, 402, 403, and 404.

Kyungsoo lives in 403, right next to 404 on the leftmost part of the small floor. He’s seen and somewhat met the family that lives on his other side in 402. It’s a woman and her son; he sometimes hears them yelling at each other over the young son’s homework. He tries to greet them one evening, but they scramble inside without even acknowledging him.

In 401, he knows there is an older couple. No matter what time he gets home he can smell the fragrant meat and veggies that they cook up to use in their meals. Sometimes they leave their door open and will try to strike up a conversation with him if they see him coming up the stairs. Kyungsoo fumbles and stutters through his interactions with them in broken Mandarin and tries to say and understand as much as he can despite the speed and accent that speckles their words.

He gets a bag of dumplings, a liter of egg drop soup, and whatever fruits they claim they have too much of shoved into his hands any time they see him. Even when he tries to reassure them that he _is_ eating and doesn’t need them to make sure that he’s getting his daily intake of nutrients they insist and Kyungsoo can only say no so many times before he just lets them take care of him as they want. They remind him a bit of his own grandparents, and it feels good to be coddled a bit.

He still hasn’t met 404…the singer. Kyungsoo still hears him through the wall nearly every night. He sings anything from old Korean songs that Kyungsoo’s mother would play, to popular American music that Kyungsoo grew up with. Sometimes, Kyungsoo finds himself humming along –until he realizes what he’s doing, flushes with embarrassment, and hurriedly puts in his own headphones so he doesn’t feel like a creep listening to his neighbor.

* * *

The first weeks pass quickly. Kyungsoo wakes up, goes to work, smiles and teaches and drains himself with the physical exertion it takes to be a teacher of young students. He packs up his things after work and tries to find somewhere with free internet to work on his lesson plans up until he’s finally able to get someone to come out to install Wi-Fi in his home. Some nights he returns home so tired that he barely manages a dinner outside of a bag of chips and sweetened lemon tea from his fridge. Those nights he’s thankful that the elderly couple next door filled his fridge with foods he didn’t think he needed.

His gas is finally connected two weeks in, but he is too tired each day to go to the store or to cook anything for himself outside of dressed up ramen. They feed him well at school during breakfast and lunch; he can cheat a bit on dinner for now.

He finds his place living in a city that is so different from his own hometown.

He buys a grey rug to put in his bedroom. He orders a few other things online so that his home doesn’t feel so stale, so empty –an oven, a cheap IKEA cabinet, nicer bed sheets. The walls of his room are a baby blue –he wishes it were black- so he buys black and grey knick knacks to dull down the brightness.

He can’t change the walls or the matching blinds, so making everything else black will have to suffice.

He discovers cafes and restaurants on weekends, tries out foods he only had the bastardized versions of in the past. He takes pictures of the good meals and send them to his mom with a message detailing what he thinks is all in it. They make a promise to each learn to make it on their own and taste each others’ when Kyungsoo returns home.

In the moments that he’s not too busy or too tired to think, Kyungsoo misses home.

His neighbor still sings and Kyungsoo can say without a doubt now that he’s _loud_. He curses and shouts and if it didn’t amuse Kyungsoo to know that his neighbor has such a colorful vocabulary in _multiple_ languages, Kyungsoo would confront him about his volume.

Maybe Kyungsoo is a bit afraid to knock on his door.

It isn’t until late September, nearly October that Kyungsoo _finally_ sees the person in 404. Kyungsoo drags up bags full of groceries after finally convincing himself to try out one of the dishes he’d been eating at a little family-run restaurant not far from his building when he bumps into him.

Not literally, but nearly. Huffing out a breath and lifting his gaze from the stairs where he was glaring intensely, willing them to just _end already_ , he hears the shocked yelp and closing of the door next to his. The door to 404.

He isn’t positive that it’s his neighbor and not someone visiting, but he feels nervous for some reason all the same looking at the man in front of him. He thanks whatever God there may be that his cheeks are already flushed red from the stairs and his heavy bags; the embarrassment isn’t as easily noticeable. He doesn’t know what expression he’s showing, but given the nearly horrified and apologetic look of the other, it must be something akin to an exhausted glare.

The guy bows politely and murmurs out a, “不好意思.” And then he’s rushing passed Kyungsoo and down the stairs. It takes Kyungsoo a full 30 seconds remember where he is, and with all of his remaining energy he unlocks his door, puts his bags on the counter of his kitchen, and then collapses on the floor of his bedroom.

Sweaty, tired, and still breathing heavily he stares up at the ceiling.

He sort of met his singing neighbor. His _cute_ singing neighbor. He never imagined that his neighbor would actually be someone that Kyungsoo would find attractive. He couldn’t be that much older than Kyungsoo, he thinks. He’s taller but not by much. Calling him taller is _gracious_.

His eyes were shiny with surprise and Kyungsoo thought the shape of them were cute. Kyungsoo finds himself swallowing in worry. He has a face to go with the voice now.

He isn’t sure how he feels about it.

* * *

Weird.

Kyungsoo has decided that he feels weird now, when he hears his neighbor singing next door. Even weirder when he hears his raucous laughter (Hehehes and HAHAHAs that sound faked) and finds himself smiling along. He feels the weirdest when he wants to jerk off and can still hear his neighbor screaming at a video game through his wall.

He tries to drown out the sounds from next door by blasting Haikyuu on full volume on his TV, but then he remembers his other neighbors, the woman and her son, and turns it back down angrily.

The situation isn’t fair.

* * *

It’s on National Day, the first of October, that Kyungsoo hears a knock on his door. He’s off work for the entirety of the holiday, a whole week, and he desperately wanted to start it by sleeping in, but someone is banging on his door –probably with mail- and it’s putting him in a bad mood.

He shoves his glasses onto his heavy eyes, tugs on a pair of sweats and his house slippers to swing open his door.

A burst of chilly autumn air hits him and Kyungsoo crosses his arms over his sleep wrinkled black t-shirt to try and conserve his warmth.

It’s in the next second that he realizes that it’s not a delivery man at his door, but his neighbor.




Kyungsoo finds himself in shock in front of the boy who is beaming too brightly for whatever fucking time of the morning it is. All perfect teeth and sharp canines, pink lips and shining cheeks. His now sandy brown hair brushed and falling across his forehead gently. The last time Kyungsoo saw him his hair was wavy and black. He’s dressed in jeans and a nice shirt and he looks _good_.

Kyungsoo looks like shit.

A gremlin at worst. A sleep deprived corpse of a human at best.

Horror sinks in his gut as he looks at his nicely dressed neighbor who is holding something out to him. A frown settles on his face at the circumstances.

“国庆快乐!” 404 says happily. “Happy National Day!” he says again in English. Kyungsoo is frozen in his spot, all of the information after opening his door not yet processing in his hazy mind.

He needs a moment to catch up.

The boy’s smile wavers and he licks his lips; Kyungsoo tries not to notice. “They’re uh, they’re moon cakes. I made them myself…I make them for the neighbors every National Day. Everyone usually really likes them even though I know they aren’t good, but they won’t tell me that,” he continues on with a shy laugh.

Kyungsoo blinks down at the, quite frankly, shitty looking moon cakes, and then back at the boy. Kyungsoo wants to ask why he’s bringing him moon cakes when he doesn’t even know Kyungsoo’s name. He wants to ask how he knew that Kyungsoo spoke English because everything after his first sentence was in perfect English and Kyungsoo knows that everyone here always assumes that he’s Chinese and speaks fluent Mandarin himself.

But instead what comes out is, “You speak English?”

The boy laughs despite Kyungsoo’s seriousness, and Kyungsoo feels his own ears heating in embarrassment from the stupidity of his question. He had no intention of being funny, but having pulled a laugh from his neighbor makes him feel… ~~good~~ weird.

“I would hope I could speak English after living in the UK for 5 years,” his neighbor supplies.

“Ah,” Kyungsoo hums out, adjusts his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to assume.”

With a wave of playful dismissiveness the boy in front of him smiles again. “It’s fine. It happens a lot. I assumed too, I mean I only kind of assumed. I sort of knew that you spoke English. Your packages sometimes get put at my door and your name isn’t in Chinese characters, it was really just a tossup,” he rambles out. Kyungsoo smiles lightly at the rapid way he talks. He seems nervous to be talking to a stranger.

His hand juts out between them. “I’m Baekhyun.”

Kyungsoo takes it. Baekhyun’s hands are cold in his own warmer ones. “I’m Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo realizes belatedly that Baekhyun most likely already knew his name since he mentioned the misplaced packages. “But uh, I guess you already knew that.”

Baekhyun laughs nervously, his cheeks pink. From the cold or from embarrassment, Kyungsoo isn’t quite sure. Most likely a bit of both.

Finally his brain catches up with him and Kyungsoo points to the moon cakes in Baekhyun’s hand. “So those are for me?”

Baekhyun nods, and his bright smile is back. It reminds Kyungsoo of a box, a rectangle. He hands Kyungsoo the moon cakes and Kyungsoo finally gets a good look at them. He fights back a laugh at how poorly made they are, just appearance wise, and focuses his attention back on the boy still standing outside of his door.

Kyungsoo suddenly becomes _very_ aware of his own appearance again and nervously adjusts his glasses. “Thank you,” he murmurs out.

“Happy National Day again, Kyungsoo. I should go give this to the other neighbors,” Baekhyun excuses himself. Kyungsoo offers a polite smile and nod and lets Baekhyun stumble away like a puppy let outside for the first time in its life. When he closes his door and looks at the moon cakes again, he reconsiders his previous opinion. He can understand why the neighbors enjoy getting moon cakes from Baekhyun.

They’re beautiful.

In their own… _very, very_ ugly kind of way.

It helps that Baekhyun is just a bit too charming to turn down.

* * *

It feels as though Kyungsoo sees Baekhyun more often after National Day. The nervousness from both of them waning each time they run into each other. During his vacation, Kyungsoo catches Baekhyun leaving and entering his own apartment more often, and Kyungsoo entertains Baekhyun while he says whatever comes to mind about his day.

Nothing of which usually has any importance.

Kyungsoo sees Baekhyun in the stairwell as they’re rushing to or from classes. Baekhyun’s Master’s degree being what has him rushing in and out of his home at any given moment –a schedule in place but clearly flexible. Kyungsoo learned, without any prompting, that Baekhyun studies Advertising and Marketing with a specialization in entertainment and music in China.

The way his eyes lit up while he explained what made him interested in the field nearly inspires Kyungsoo to consider going back to get his Master’s in something similar. Baekhyun talks with passion even when Kyungsoo doesn’t offer much about himself in return, but he seems to be able to fill up the space without being overbearing all the same.

Halfway through October, Kyungsoo gets a note on his door. Something about paying for the gas bill he figures out, but he can’t make out all of the words or how he’s supposed to pay for it.

He sits on the floor of his apartment with the note in front of him for a full 15 minutes before he decides that he should just go ask Baekhyun for help. From the ~~(one-sided)~~ conversations they’ve had, it’s obvious that Baekhyun has lived here for over a year and has a solid handle of how things are supposed to work.

It would be the first time Kyungsoo has ever initiated a conversation with the older. It’s not like he hasn’t wanted to, he just hasn’t been sure what exactly to say. Baekhyun’s warmth and easy-going attitude makes Kyungsoo want to talk to him, but it also makes him nervous. He doesn’t like the way his tongue seems to get tied when Baekhyun is around.

He makes up his mind to just go over and get it out of the way. He needs his stove to cook; it would be a pity to have it cut off just because Baekhyun might make Kyungsoo just a _tad_ nervous.

Three raps on the door is all it takes before Kyungsoo can hear the fumbling around inside indicating that Baekhyun is home. Kyungsoo’s lip twitches at the urge to smile. He squashes the smile as the door is pulled open and a disheveled Baekhyun stands before him.

His hair is all over the place and it seems like he just threw on the first thing he could find to answer the door.

If the wrinkled graphic tee and bright pink shorts are any indication.

His hands block his crotch as Baekhyun takes notice of the judging stare directed at his choice of pants. Kyungsoo raises his gaze back to Baekhyun’s face to see a pout starting on his lips. “They’re pretty, don’t say anything.”

Kyungsoo laughs and Baekhyun brightens at the reaction, lips quirking in a smile, eyes shining in mirth, body relaxing.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from my beloved neighbor?”

Kyungsoo points to the note on Baekhyun’s door that matches the one in his hand. “I think I need help paying my gas bill?”

Baekhyun twists to look at his door in confusion. His mouth opens a bit in realization and then he turns back to Kyungsoo with a smirk on his lips. “You _think_ you need help?” he teases.

Kyungsoo resists the urge to punch him. They aren’t that close yet.

He opts to roll his eyes in annoyance. Baekhyun lets out another one of those laughs that is unbelievably _literally_ a ‘hehehe’ and Kyungsoo feels the skin on the back of his neck warm at the sound.

“I need your help, please,” he manages to grunt out through the uncomfortable feeling of his own reaction to a simple laugh.

“What will I get in return?” Baekhyun teases further. Kyungsoo figures he should just give up and just walk back into his own apartment. When another laugh fills his ears and slender fingers wrap around his wrist to stop him mid-turn, he stops. “I’m joking!”

Kyungsoo feels like his wrist is on fire.

Kyungsoo slides his hand free and puts both of his hands behind his back. Baekhyun doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. “Give me your WeChat.”

“No.”

“If you want to pay your bill I have to send you the link.”

Kyungsoo ponders it. It’s a win-win for him honestly, if he gives his neighbor his contact, but he feels like being difficult. “You can just tell me what to look up.”

Baekhyun all but whines. “Come on, everyone has everyone’s WeChats here. And we’re neighbors we should have each other’s contact information.”

“It’s unnecessary.”

“What if you get locked out of your apartment and you need someone to help you contact the landlord?”

“I have his WeChat already,” Kyungsoo says simply. He keeps his expression neutral in hopes that Baekhyun can’t tell that he’s enjoying teasing him back.

Baekhyun opens and closes his mouth a few times in search of words before Kyungsoo gives in and hides a chuckle behind his hand. Baekhyun’s eyes narrow but the twitch of his lips give away that he isn’t serious. “Are you messing with me?”

Wordlessly, Kyungsoo unlocks his own phone and presents his WeChat code for Baekhyun to scan. “Wait! I left my phone on the bed!” Blinking in shock, Kyungsoo watches Baekhyun disappear behind his door only to reappear 3 seconds later with a phone in hand. His fingers fly over the screen as he types in his password and then opens the app to scan the code Kyungsoo is still presenting with a steady hand.

Kyungsoo tucks his phone back in his pocket while Baekhyun sends the request and watches amusedly as Baekhyun frowns down at his pocket where the phone vibrates against Kyungsoo’s thigh. “Aren’t you going to accept my request?”

“You only asked for it. I never said I would add you back.” With that, Kyungsoo walks back to his door and lets himself in with a smile on the corner of his lips. Baekhyun stands spluttering at his own doorstep.

Leaving his phone to sit on his bed while he cleans up, Kyungsoo makes a mental reminder to accept Baekhyun’s request before he goes to bed.

* * *

In bed for the night, Kyungsoo feels strangely unfulfilled by the interaction earlier. He got Baekhyun’s contact information, but it’s for apartment things. He wonders how often he will actually need enough help to reach out to the other.

His eyes feel heavy at the thought of turning up to work early the next morning. He presses accept to Baekhyun’s friend request and afterwards he double checks his alarms before locking his phone and closing his eyes.

At exactly 9:37pm Kyungsoo hears Baekhyun singing a cheerful song through the wall.

Kyungsoo falls asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

“What are your plans for Halloween?” Junmyeon asks from across the table.

Kyungsoo shrugs noncommittally and grabs a piece of meat out of the pot of boiling ingredients. He had been thinking about the upcoming holiday but hadn’t really considered it outside of the fact that he isn’t supposed to do any lessons on it with his students.

“I met a new friend at a bar crawl, his name is Jongin. He actually works at an international kindergarten and teaches Korean and dance to kids in the city. He told me that there is a trivia night at one bar and a big dress up party at another,” Junmyeon continues. He grabs a drooping piece of spinach and blows on it before putting it in his mouth. He looks at Kyungsoo hopefully while chewing.

Kyungsoo sighs. He doesn’t love the idea of either honestly. Having to use his brain willingly when he teaches all day? No thanks. Being around other drunk foreigners in a crowded bar? Also not his thing.

“Is Sooyoung coming?”

Junmyeon frowns and shrugs. “I don’t know. I asked her but she said she had to ask her _other_ friends.” He sulks as he picks up a piece of meat and dips it in sauce. “She met a group of people at her Chinese language exchange and now she hangs out with them more often than anyone else. I think she’s got a crush on one of them.” Junmyeon fishes his phone out of his pocket and scrolls through it until he finds what he was looking for. A photo is shoved in Kyungsoo’s face.

It’s a photo of Sooyoung with a group of 4 other girls and they’re all beaming happily. She fits in there, Kyungsoo thinks.

“The one with the short grey hair is the one I think she likes. Her name is Yeri and she’s from the UK but her parents are also Korean,” Junmyeon supplies.

The two of them would be cute together. Kyungsoo shifts his eyes from the phone to Junmyeon, letting him know he’s finished looking. “Are you upset about it?”

Junmyeon blinks and then giggles awkwardly behind his hand. “No, I’m just sad we all don’t get to hang out like we did when we first got here. I don’t like her like that if that’s what you’re trying to say…”

“I never said anything about liking her-”

“She’s pretty that’s all! I’d be the same if you suddenly went off and got new friends,” Junmyeon points and pours more beer into both of their cups. Briefly, Kyungsoo’s mind flashes to Baekhyun.

He drinks the beer Junmyeon poured. “Don’t you have multiple different friend groups?”

“…Yes, but I’m a Gemini. I can’t help it. I need attention to survive and neither of you would give me enough to keep me alive,” he says with a pointed pair of chopsticks in Kyungsoo’s direction.

A laugh bubbles out of Kyungsoo at the incredulity of the statement. Junmyeon blames everything on his zodiac sign.

He wonders whether Baekhyun might also be a Gemini.

Kyungsoo knows that a pout is settling on his face even before Junmyeon points it out.

“What’s up? Is something wrong?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m just curious about something. What exactly…are Geminis like?” The wording feels strange on Kyungsoo’s tongue and he grimaces to himself.

Junmyeon’s expression brightens and he slams his chopsticks onto the table in his excitement. “Well!” he starts. Kyungsoo begins to regret asking. “Geminis are very flirty, but it is usually just friendliness that is mistaken that way. People like to call us two-faced because we know how to adapt to our surroundings and switch the way we act according to who we’re around, but that does _not_ mean that we’re fake or liars. Most Geminis are very talkative and smart and will only debate you if they’re sure of the facts that they have that will prove you wrong. Many people ask whether May or June Geminis are superior and personally-”

“Okay that’s enough,” Kyungsoo groans out to drown out the elder. He didn’t realize he would get a thesis on the topic.

“Even if you don’t have a Gemini sun, it’s possible to have it in your other planets and it may show in your personality if dominant enough,” Junmyeon continues on. He downs the rest of the beer in his cup. “It’s just simple astrology.”

Kyungsoo figures that Baekhyun may be a Gemini or at least have Gemini in him if anything Junmyeon told him is true. Talkative, flirty, friendly, it all checks out.

But anyone can be like that.

Back home, his best friend Chanyeol was like that and he was a Sagittarius. Kyungsoo knows because the taller never shut up about it. Now that he thinks about it, Junmyeon and Chanyeol would probably get along _great_.

Junmyeon’s phone buzzes on the table and he picks it up with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth. A sound of surprise escapes him and Kyungsoo looks up from fishing out a particularly slippery octopus shaped sausage. “Jongin just messaged me and said we can do the trivia in a group of 6 people. Last year the only sections they had trouble with was finding someone who knew enough about Halloween movies and song lyrics.” His eyes dart from the screen to meet Kyungsoo’s. “Didn’t you say you studied media in university?”

“Yeah…” Kyungsoo goes back to looking for the sausage he lost in his moment of distraction. “So?”

“You know about directors and quotes from movies right?”

He does, but he doesn’t like that Junmyeon was able to guess that about him. He frowns as he chews his sausage in lieu of responding. It’s overcooked.

Junmyeon takes that as an affirmation and as a confirmation to join the trivia team. Kyungsoo doesn’t care enough to try and turn him down. “So then it’ll be me, you, Jongin, Jongin’s friend Sehun and then…we need two more people.” Junmyeon turns thoughtful. “We need at least one person who is good with music and knows song titles and lyrics…”

Immediately Yixing and Baekhyun come to mind. He knows for a fact that Yixing would be able to identify songs after hearing only a snippet, and he can nearly guarantee that Baekhyun would know all the words to any song put in front of him.

But he isn’t sure it’s his place to invite two unknown people to the group.

He doesn’t even know if they’d accept.

Despite the nagging part of his brain telling him to not bother, he places his chopsticks down and gives Junmyeon a long look. “Is anyone welcome?”

Junmyeon blinks. How does he manage to look so innocent at his big age? “Of course! Well, as long as they aren’t dicks. The winner of the game gets free drinks so they better know their shit. Do you have someone in mind?”

“My neighbor, he sings often and I think he might be useful. Also my coworker. I think they’d both know plenty about the music part combined. But I don’t know that for a fact,” he adds on quickly.

Nearly knocking over the still boiling pot, Junmyeon jerks forward in his seat. “Invite them! Invite them!” In the short amount of time that Kyungsoo has known Junmyeon, he knows how competitive he can get, especially with the added incentive of a prize. “If they can’t come that’s fine –we can find others, but if they can then I’m sure we’ll _definitely_ win.” There’s a spark of excitement in his eyes.

Kyungsoo nearly chokes on his food from how happy the other looks.

“I’ll ask.”

* * *

Asking and doing are two completely different things. Reaching out to Yixing is easy enough; he tosses it out while the two of them are eating lunch together the day after his talk with Junmyeon.

“Of course! Will it all be in English? I will be able to practice right?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t think that Yixing needs the practice. He speaks better English than Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo grew up learning it _god dammit_!

After sending him Junmyeon’s information and letting Junmyeon know that Yixing wants to attend; all that’s left is talking to Baekhyun about it.

It has been a while since Kyungsoo has heard any commotion from next door, and he begins to wonder if maybe his neighbor also feels the loneliness that comes with being away from friends and family back home at this time of year. If maybe it dampened his light a bit.

It’s not as if he hasn’t talked to Baekhyun since they traded information, but it’s all been…strictly professional.

Things like how the water bill works, where the trash goes, where the mailboxes are and if Kyungsoo could pick up a package from Baekhyun’s when Kyungsoo is off work.

Neutral things. Safe things.

Despite how talkative his neighbor seems, Kyungsoo notices that he’s a bit more introverted than Kyungsoo had initially assumed.

The trivia night is that upcoming Friday, the 25th. Kyungsoo waits until the 23nd to finally get the balls to send him a message about it. The last message they shared was yesterday about the location of one of the delivery drop-offs.

Kyungsoo can’t believe that he’s doing this.

**都** **Kyungsoo**

_Wednesday 4:33pm_

Hey

Kyungsoo gets a message back immediately.

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

couldnt find ur package????

need me to go ask????

 **都** **Kyungsoo**

No, I found it

Kyungsoo pauses. Stuck with how to ask what he wants to ask, but then more messages pop up on his phone.

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

_Wednesday 4:34_

good!!!!!!!!! [Grin]

[Excited]

[Thumbs Up]

[Poop]

Kyungsoo snorts at the string of emojis and wonders if Baekhyun is next door or if he is at a class at the moment. If he is in class, then he’s doing a piss poor job of paying attention.

“Fuck it…”

**都** **Kyungsoo**

_Wednesday 4:38pm_

What do you know about Halloween songs?

Lyrics I mean

It takes over 5 minutes for a response back so Kyungsoo locks his phone and goes to prepare dinner. He made sesame chicken and stir-fried rice and vegetables a day ago and still has leftovers, so he decides to warm it up and finish it off so that he can make something different tomorrow.

He heats it up in his tiny, space-saving oven and crosses his arms over his chest as he contemplates whether the video he selected from Barney is too complicated for his 1st graders. It uses the vocabulary they used in the last unit, but he thinks the grammar may be too new for them to be able to keep up.

He chews on his lip until his food is warmed up and he transfers it to a plate to bring into his bedroom.

Bedroom/living room/dining room. His bedroom is a…multi-purpose space.

Grabbing his phone off his recently cleaned bedside table Kyungsoo sees 8 messages waiting to be responded to.

**PCY_Real**

_Wednesday 4:45pm_

What time do you want to videocall?

im free after 6 my time

Nt sure what time that is for you

Cant be bothered to check lmaoooo^^

_4:51pm_

wait ur only an hour behind nvm

“Idiot,” Kyungsoo scoffs out a laugh.

**都** **Kyungsoo**

_5:01pm_

Just call any time before 11 Chanyeol

Your time.

Kyungsoo switches over to Baekhyun’s unopened messages

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

_Wednesday 4:47pm_

????? I know them all of course

what kind ofperson do you take me for

A gif of a man rolling his eyes is sent at the end and Kyungsoo smiles down at the image fondly.

**都** **Kyungsoo**

_Wednesday 5:02pm_

My friends are going to a trivia night on Friday and we need one more person on the team who is familiar with Halloween song lyrics.

Turning up the volume so that he can hear it when Chanyeol calls, Kyungsoo begins to eat and search for something to watch on Netflix while his VPN is still working.

A loud round of _pings_ from his phone startles him out of his search for a movie.

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

_5:04pm_

KYUNGSOO!!!!??@?!

are you *begging ME* to join your trivia team??

I never thought id see the day [Sobbing]

yes

1000x yes [Grateful] [Confetti] [Stonehenge]

**都** **Kyungsoo**

I’m going to fucking block you…

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

D:

_5:08pm_

Srsly tho

Is this an invite? Bc I want to go

**id LOVE to go :D

**都** **Kyungsoo**

If you aren’t going to be annoying the whole time then yes

It’s an invitation

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

<3

[Dance] [Dance] [Dance]

[Tongue]

Kyungsoo nearly locks his phone and goes back to eating and looking for a movie when another string of messages _ping_ on his phone. He looks down at his food sadly. It’s going to go cold…

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

_Wednesday 5:16pm_

since you asked me out I guess I have to do the same

[Rolling Eyes] [Smug]

Wanna come out with my friends for drinks at westlake and ktv??

Not this weekend

After [Jack-o-lantern] [Jack-o-lantern]

“I did _not_ ask him out,” Kyungsoo grumbles to himself. He feels embarrassment heating up his skin.

 **都** **Kyungsoo**

_Wednesday 5:21pm_

I take back the invitation

Stay home

Fuck you

 **BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

LMAO

WAIT

NO

KYUNGSOO IM SORRY HAHAHA

 **都** **Kyungsoo**

_5:33pm_

Fuck you

…

Goodnight

[Middle Finger]

**BBH(** **啵啵虎** **’** **ㅅ** **’)**

IT’S NOT EVEN 6

_5:35pm_

THERES N O WAY YOURE GOING TO BED

_5:37pm_

SOO

KYUNSOO

KYUGNSOO

FUCK

**KYUNGSOO

_5:39pm_

Let_me_in_Let_me_INNNNN.mp4

Kyungsoo stifles his laugh around a mouthful of rice and turns his phone on silent as more messages bombard the device. Flipping it over and going back to Netflix, Kyungsoo turns the volume up on some new anime he’s never seen before and watches on in peace.

**Author's Note:**

> 外卖 = food takeout/delivery  
> 麦当劳 = McDonald's  
> 2元 = 2 yuan/dollars (essentially like 0.30USD)  
> 不好意思 = Sorry/excuse me/my bad  
> 国庆快乐 = Happy National Day  
> 都Kyungsoo = Do Kyungsoo (its the chinese character for his surname lmao)  
> BBH(啵啵虎’ ㅅ’) = BBH(BoBoHu'ㅅ') {its the nickname c-fans gave him based off his initials}


End file.
